The 16th-18th we had some chicks hatch early in the incubator. Two came out with what we assumed were splay leg, though one only had trouble walking after being put on newspaper for a few minutes (lesson learned). So we braced their legs and prayed a lot. St. Patrick the Chick is, as far as I can tell, all better. The vat wrap brace came off earlier this week, and the chick's feet point the right way, legs stay under it. She's running around and flapping like a hooligan, jumping on everything.
I thought the Sunday chick was getting better. She's been walking around with both legs well under her and we took her brace off Tuesday and have been watching closely for any signs she needs it back. So far so good, it seemed. The chicks, whenever I open the brooder to do anything or handle them, fly/jump up onto my arms and perch there, run up and down, poop on me, ect. Tonight Sunday jumped up on me, but I had my sleeve rolled up and her bad leg slipped way out to the side as she tried to perch on my arm, and when she jumped down, she took a few really awful hobbling steps like her leg wouldn't bend right, but was only limping a little after a few steps. The hock on that leg looks a little larger than the other hock, but didn't seem painful when I touched it or when I moved the leg around. I thought her achilles tendon might have slipped, and I'm pretty sure I felt the tendon moving around and felt it pop back into place. I stretched her leg back and that didn't bother her at all. She's still limping a little on that leg, but was walking around and I didn't feel the tendon out of place when I went back to check on her.
Is it a slipped achilles tendon? My biggest question is would she be able to walk on that? She stands perfectly well and was even stretching up to see what I was doing a few minutes after it happened. It's only the slight limp like the leg is stiff and she had trouble balancing on that leg to scratch her face (or maybe she was in the brace so long she's not sure how to stand on one leg, I don't know). Her feet point forward, her legs are in the correct position. She doesn't seem to be bothered by this now and ate and drank with everyone else before settling down for a nap.
I thought the Sunday chick was getting better. She's been walking around with both legs well under her and we took her brace off Tuesday and have been watching closely for any signs she needs it back. So far so good, it seemed. The chicks, whenever I open the brooder to do anything or handle them, fly/jump up onto my arms and perch there, run up and down, poop on me, ect. Tonight Sunday jumped up on me, but I had my sleeve rolled up and her bad leg slipped way out to the side as she tried to perch on my arm, and when she jumped down, she took a few really awful hobbling steps like her leg wouldn't bend right, but was only limping a little after a few steps. The hock on that leg looks a little larger than the other hock, but didn't seem painful when I touched it or when I moved the leg around. I thought her achilles tendon might have slipped, and I'm pretty sure I felt the tendon moving around and felt it pop back into place. I stretched her leg back and that didn't bother her at all. She's still limping a little on that leg, but was walking around and I didn't feel the tendon out of place when I went back to check on her.
Is it a slipped achilles tendon? My biggest question is would she be able to walk on that? She stands perfectly well and was even stretching up to see what I was doing a few minutes after it happened. It's only the slight limp like the leg is stiff and she had trouble balancing on that leg to scratch her face (or maybe she was in the brace so long she's not sure how to stand on one leg, I don't know). Her feet point forward, her legs are in the correct position. She doesn't seem to be bothered by this now and ate and drank with everyone else before settling down for a nap.
